


a lonely house, vanished

by Crown_of_Winterthorne



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Best Friend Iwaizumi, Forests, M/M, Mysterious!Suga, Oikawa Tooru's Knee Injury, Oisuga Weekend, Supernatural Elements, Things are not what they seem, Writer!Oikawa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 19:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14455716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crown_of_Winterthorne/pseuds/Crown_of_Winterthorne
Summary: When life gets complicated, author Oikawa heads to the mountains for some peace and quiet to finish his manuscript. He does not anticipate meeting Sugawara, who seems to have some complications of his own...Tags and ratings will change as chapters are added.





	a lonely house, vanished

“I’m telling you, I’m fine,” Tooru said for at least the third time. He glanced at the GPS and turned left onto an old mountain road nearly hidden by fog.

“Running away to live in the middle of the woods is not fine.” Iwa-chan’s voice was crackling and thin over the Bluetooth, but his irritation came through crystal clear. Tooru could well imagine the face he was making.

“It’s for work,” he explained, also for the third time. He was beginning to believe the lie himself. “I’m not getting anything done in the city, so I might as well come here.”

A sigh. “You should have asked me to come with you.”

“You're such a mother hen.”

“Tooru.” His name. His  _ given _ name. Iwaizumi was serious.

Tooru replied in kind. “I’m okay, Hajime. Really. I’m almost to the house, so I’ll call you tomorrow. I promise.”

“You’d better,” Iwa-chan said. There was a slight growl to his voice that meant he would be on the first train to Nagano if Tooru broke his promise.

They said their goodbyes as the car rumbled to a stop on the poorly paved road in front of a house nearly hidden by overgrowth. Tooru turned off the engine and sat back with a sigh. It had been a long drive--the nearest town was forty minutes away and the nearest train station even further. His back ached. So did his knee.

Twenty-eight was not supposed to feel so old.

Tooru got out of the car and stretched with his arms above his head. Inhaling deeply, the smell of forest, damp and primordial, invaded his senses. It was rich earth and fresh rain lingering on green leaves, like a lost world Tooru had only dreamed of. 

Despite its modern style, the house seemed like it was centuries old. The wet mountain air and creeping forest had aged it. Tooru’s boots crunched on the pebbled pathway as he walked up to the door. The porch seemed to sag under his weight, creaking in protest with every step. 

It felt familiar. Comforting. Tooru had been here once as a child, or someplace like it, and it held memories of fireflies and hidden shrines down deep paths. The ghosts here were friendly and the only demons were those Tooru brought with his baggage.

He searched for the key. It was supposed to be above the door, but Tooru felt nothing but dirt and damp as he ran his fingers along the top of the frame. He wrinkled his nose and resisted the urge to wipe his hand on his jeans.

“Well… shit,” he muttered, looking at the door with narrowed eyes. Maybe the key was by the back door? 

Or maybe there was a window he could climb in.

“Hello?”

Tooru spun around, shocked to find another man standing in the driveway. He hadn't even heard him! He couldn't see another car either, leaving Tooru to wonder just who this mist-shrouded man was.

He was very pretty, whoever he was. Milk-fresh skin, a cloud of silver hair, and a smile like sunshine. He was positively  _ enchanting. _

“Sorry!” the stranger held his hands up. “I didn't mean to startle you. I’m the caretaker?”

Tooru blinked. Shook his head clear. Put on a smile of his own and walked down to meet the man. “Oikawa Tooru. I didn't know there was a caretaker.”

“My family has looked after this land for centuries,” he said. He gave a polite bow. “I’m Sugawara Koushi, but everyone calls me Suga. I’m sorry. I forgot you were going to be here so early. Were you looking for the key?”

“Ah… yes.”

“I'm so sorry,” Suga apologized again. 

Up close, Tooru could see that he had a beauty mark beside his left eye.  _ Charming. _

Suga took a key out of the pocket of his jeans, offering it to Tooru. “Would you like help taking your things inside? It’s the least I can do.”

His first inclination was to say no, but Suga seemed sincere. Tooru was also weak for that soul-warming smile.

“That would be nice, thank you,” he said, joining Suga by the car. He still wasn't sure where the other man had come from--maybe there was another house nearby?

Crows called from the trees as they unpacked the car. Tooru hadn’t brought much outside of his laptop and books--mostly reference material in case the Wi-Fi wasn’t as good as advertised and notebooks in case he wanted to write during a hike. He also had a small leather bag stuffed with clothes he didn’t mind getting dirty, an extra pair of shoes, a telescope, and enough groceries for a week.

Between the two of them, the car was emptied in one and a half trips. Suga put the groceries away while Tooru got the last of his books. The power, at least, had been turned on and the refrigerator was cold.

“Do you live around here?” Tooru asked, handing Suga a bottle of water. The morning fog had burned off and left the air hot and humid. Tooru’s hair felt limp and his shirt was sticking to his back.

Suga nodded. “It’s about a ten minute walk. I’ll be available if you need anything.”

“Great,” Tooru reached for his phone. “What’s your cell?”

Suga gave him a number, adding, “The service here isn’t very good. I'll try to stop by often, if that’s okay?”

Normally, the thought of someone checking in on him daily would irritate Tooru. He barely tolerated that when Iwa-chan was particularly concerned about him. When he was supposed to be writing, interruptions were damn near torture.

“Around lunchtime would be best,” Tooru found himself saying. “Sometimes I lose track of time and forget to eat.”

Suga nodded. “Sounds good. Unless you have any questions for me, I’ll let you get settled?”

“I’m fine,” Tooru said. He hesitated, then added, “Except… do you know any good spots for stargazing?”

“There’s a clearing not far from here,” Suga smiled. “I’d be happy to show you.”

“Great. Maybe tomorrow when you come by?”

“I’d like that,” he nodded. There was a warmth to his voice that made Tooru wonder if he had accidentally invited Suga on a date.

Not that it would be the worst thing in the world, to go out with such a pretty, kind stranger. Unless, of course, he was a serial killer?

Tooru dismissed that flight of writerly fancy and said his goodbyes to Suga at the door. The crows outside were noisier than before and he hoped it wouldn't be a regular occurrence.

Suga, though… Tooru had to admit that he was looking forward to  _ those _ regular occurrences.

* * *

 

The house wasn’t as run down inside as Tooru feared. The hardwood floors were clean, if a bit weathered and warped from age and use. The couch was soft and didn’t smell musty. The futon and linens in the bedroom upstairs were also fresh. The water ran clean and clear from every faucet, and aside from the remains of a fire in the living room hearth, there didn't seem to be any dirt or decay.

More importantly, the house was calm and quiet. Open windows let in fresh, cool air that smelled of rain and pine. The crows had flown off, leaving gentler songbirds to fill the silence. It was lonely, compared to the city, but Tooru craved the solitude. 

He changed into comfortable clothes--faded aqua sweatpants with “Aoba Johsai” lettered in peeling white, and a white tee screen printed with a gold star chart. Glasses replaced Tooru’s contacts and he pulled his hair back with clips.

He wandered through the living room, stretching long arms above his head as he went. When his phone rang, he checked the caller ID, swiped for rejection, and put it on silent. He tossed it onto the sofa cushions and walked away with his back straight and his head held high.

He was not going to waste more time on the drama he’d left behind in Miyagi. If it was truly important, Iwa-chan would call.

Once he had a snack in hand, Tooru sat down at the table beside a window and opened his laptop. Water was heating in a kettle for tea. The soft bubbling sound blended with birdsong and the instrumental music Tooru played once his computer finished booting up.

Despite the peaceful mood, he wasn't in the right frame of mind to write. It wouldn't hurt to read through what little existed of his newest manuscript, but Tooru doubted that he would accomplish much. He was tired from traveling and irritated by the call he’d ignored. It would not be the last one and he dreaded the inevitable messages that would follow.

And the texts. And the emails. Tooru was grateful that only Iwaizumi and his agent knew where he was hiding out, or he’d likely be facing some unpleasant visits as well.

Sighing, Tooru rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses. He closed his laptop, finished off his tea, put on his spare shoes, and went outside.

He told himself it was for inspiration. He was certainly not running away.

The path Tooru followed, if it even  _ was _ a path, was overgrown with lush green grasses. Wildflowers were scattered among the stalks and stems, and dappled sunlight reached through the forest canopy above. The trees were old. The kind of trees that had stories to tell if only Tooru could understand the whispers of leaves on the wind.

He stopped walking before he could get lost. He remembered being lost in a forest like this before. He had been smaller then and the trees seemed like monsters. His sister’s stories about hungry youkai had no longer seemed like myth and he had seen creatures lurking in every shadow.

Tooru’s heart raced as he recalled that old fear. He closed his eyes, lifted his face to the filtered sunlight, and breathed deeply. He had always been driven by fear. Of the unknown. Of failure. Injury.

Now he fed on the fear of others, putting to paper the shadows that lurked behind the trees and in his mind. Had made a career of it out of sheer spite and stubbornness.

The beating of wings and the cawing of crows pulled Tooru from his reverie with a startled gasp. A dozen crows stared down at him from the branches, their black eyes unreadable. Menacing.

Tooru had seen this movie before. He ran.

The crows followed, swooping at him with angry cries. They nipped at his fingers and dove after his feet. He tripped over gnarled old tree roots that had not been there before and crashed through thorny underbrush that ripped at his clothing. The air, already hot and humid from the captured sunlight, seemed thick enough to choke on. Tooru wasn't out of shape, but he felt as though his lungs would burst. His knee screamed at him to stop. The crows screamed at him to keep running.

Tooru burst out of the woods into fresh, cool air, greeted by the welcome sight of the overgrown house. He stumbled again and his knee gave out. He hit the ground hard, shouting a curse into the sudden silence.

Silence?

Panting, Tooru whipped his head around to look for the crows. There was nothing. Even the trees had fallen quiet.

“Oikawa-san?”

“Fuck!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” It was Suga again, looking like a disheveled angel. “I thought I heard… so I… are you okay? What happened?”

“Have you ever seen  _ The Birds? _ ” Tooru asked dryly. Now that the panic was fading, he was irritated. And a little bit embarrassed to have his pretty caretaker see him thus.

Suga shook his head and gave a wry smile. “Only the ones in the trees. Though you seem to have scared them all away.”

“Good. We’re even, then,” Tooru muttered, pushing himself onto his feet. His knee protested the action and Suga didn't miss the hiss of pain that escaped from between Tooru’s teeth.

“What’s wrong?” Suga asked, reaching out for him. His sharp eyes landed on Tooru’s leg, as if daring him to lie.

Tooru sighed. “An old injury. And a new one, I suppose.”

“Come inside,” Suga said. His tone brooked no argument. “Ankle or knee?”

“Knee,” he admitted, following Suga like he did when Iwaizumi got it in his head to fuss over him. They should never meet, Tooru decided. He wouldn’t be able to withstand them both. 

Suga made him sit on the sofa and elevate his knee on a pillow. “Do not move. I’ll be right back.”

Tooru wanted to argue, but he was too impressed by Suga’s attitude. Iwa-chan could learn a thing or two from this one. He was no meek little angel.

He was also delightful to watch as he flitted around the house, chasing down a first aid kit, setting the tea kettle to boil, and wetting a clean cloth beneath the kitchen faucet.

“Let’s see your knee,” Suga said. “C’mon.”

Tooru gave him a petulant look. “I already have a mother, Suga-chan.”

“Then it won't hurt when I swat you upside the head,” he replied sweetly. “Either you can roll your pants up or I can drag them off of you, but I am looking at that knee.”

“Just my knee?”

“What?”

“What?” Tooru echoed dumbly. He realized what he’d said and cursed himself for being an idiot. Suga must have realized too, because he blushed. 

Shaking off his stunned silence, Suga knelt down and tugged Tooru’s pant leg up. The blush remained, delicate and pink upon his fair skin, but his eyes once again meant business. He clucked his tongue at Tooru.

It was, Tooru hated to admit, worth clucking over. His knee was swollen beneath his grass-stained sweats and already beginning to ache. His surgery scars stood out in vivid relief against otherwise perfect skin.

Tooru had to look away. Suga didn’t.

“Tell me if anything hurts,” Suga said softly, fingers hovering over Tooru’s knee. “May I?”

“Yeah.” Tooru didn’t like how quiet his own voice was. He had given up the anger a long time ago. Now he just felt defeated.

“Is anything tender?” Suga pressed carefully at Tooru’s knee. His fingers were cool. Soft.

“No. It just aches,” he said. It wasn’t terribly swollen and the throbbing had subsided into a dull twinge. “Is there ice in the first aid kit?”

There was, and after glancing at the instructions, Suga cracked the package to activate the chemicals. He placed a cloth onto Tooru’s knee, then laid the ice on top of it. He quirked an eyebrow at Tooru.

“Okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Suga smiled that sunshine smile of his. He picked up the cloth he’d moistened under the kitchen faucet. “Let me see your hands.”

Tooru held them out, palms up, and both he and Suga hissed between their teeth. They were scraped up, stained with grass and dirt. His hands suddenly ached worse than his knee. So did his wrists, and Tooru flexed them carefully.

“How bad?” Suga asked, carefully picking dirt out of one palm.

“Not too bad. Nothing’s broken.” Tooru curled his lip and sighed. “Typing is going to be a nightmare.”

“Typing?” he dabbed at the raw skin.

“I’m a writer. I came here for some peace and quiet to work.” Tooru forced himself not to wince or jerk back as Suga cleaned his wounds.

“Not much peace or quiet,” Suga teased.

“No,” he agreed, “but it’s only the first day.”

He met Suga’s eyes with a smile, fully aware this time, that he was trying to be charming. It was ridiculous, really. Tooru had work to do and a deadline looming. He didn't have time to flirt with strangers.

“Busy day,” Suga met his gaze, caramel eyes darting away after a long, weighted moment. He took Tooru’s other hand to repeat the cleaning process. “You’re not going to be able to cook like this. Can I fix you dinner tonight?”

“A dinner date, already?” Tooru purred. “It  _ has _ been a busy day.”

“Stop that,” Suga swatted lightly at his shoulder. He was smiling though. “I feel responsible. I should have warned you that the crows around here can be… territorial.”

“I think you mean evil.”

“Territorial,” Suga repeated. “Strange, perhaps. But they’re not evil. Trust me on that.”

“How ominous.”

Suga shrugged and this time his smile wasn't warm. Tooru felt a shudder run down his spine. He hadn't told Suga that it was crows that chased him.

“I told you,” Suga said, “my family has been here for centuries.”

_ to be continued… _

 

**Author's Note:**

> I can't promise that I'll update on each day of OiSuga Weekend (this is turning out longer than I expected and I have some RL commitments) but this will definitely be completed!


End file.
